Chapter 15

Maybe I should have met with Callahan when he texted yesterday. Not only is the fear of the unknown eating at me, but by the time this shift ends, I’ll be even more exhausted than I was yesterday afternoon. I snuck in a small nap halfway through. That’s the only thing saving me. There’s one of those giant cookie cakes wrapped up in tinfoil on the breakroom table, and it’s significantly smaller than it was earlier. I cut off a slice and pick at it while watching some rerun on TV.

It’s been a slow night, and I’m not complaining, but I’d be lying if I said my mind hasn’t been going in circles about our upcoming “talk.”

I stare at the cookie slice before stuffing the entire thing in my mouth. Which is when Dave walks in. He’s wrapping up his shift too.

“Hey, haven’t seen you in a while,” he says, pulling up a chair to the table. “How are things going?”

“Yeah, it’s going well. Thanks,” I say around my bite.

“Good.” He cuts his own slice off the stale, nearly brick cookie. “Making friends?”

I swallow. “Yeah, I think so. ”

“I heard you and Cal are getting kinda cozy.”

My brow furrows. “Callahan Woods? I don’t know if I would say that.” I cock my head to the side. “Do you know him?”

“Oh yeah, he and I go way back.”

Hmm. “Oh, you’re good friends then?”

Dave sighs. “Depends on what your definition of a friend is… He’s nice enough. But there's something you should probably know about him. He’s the town heartbreaker. Sleeps around, never settles down.”

I roll my eyes. “What makes you think I would sleep with him?”

He raises his brows. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. Look, I like Cal, but I wouldn’t let him near my sisters.”

He eyes me up and down, and I don’t like the way his gaze lingers.

“Why?”

“You know how they say the value of a car drops when you drive it off the lot? Well, Callahan likes to collect cars and never take them out again.”

Comparing a woman’s value to a car is gross.

I'm not a fan of Dave, but unfortunately, what he says was echoed by Matt on our trek home from the fire in Oregon, and it adds to my unease.

“Well, I’ve got some stuff to work on. I’ll see you around.” Pushing out of my chair, I exit the breakroom and check the rig to see if there’s anything I can restock. After that, I spend the rest of my shift finishing a training module on one of the desktops, then do a quick Google search for Arkansas news. Nothing that pertains to me. No news is good news.

When it’s finally time to go home, I get in my car and catch my reflection in the rear-view mirror. I look haggard. I’ll need a shower before I see Callahan. My car doesn’t start immediately, and I gulp down my frustration. It turns over on the second try, so I focus on getting back to my studio apartment in time to clean up.

I turn on the radio and sing along with a monotone voice, anything to keep me awake, until I hear a noise. It’s almost like a… thumping? I turn the radio off and listen. The noise is familiar, but my brain is too tired to put it together until the car starts to bounce—Shit! I’ve got a flat tire. I quickly pull over to the side of the country road.

I already know there’s not a spare. I bought the car bare bones and paid cash. Just in case the magical tire fairy blessed me with one, I check the trunk anyway. Empty.

“Shit.” I kick the shredded tire and slap the roof of the car. Closing my eyes, I lean against the frame, resting my forehead on the cold glass of the rear passenger window. I want to smash my head into it. Deep breaths.

Who do I call? Callahan? It’s seven fifteen in the morning; he’s probably not even awake yet. Ugh, this day just won’t end.

A couple cars zoom by, but tires crunching on gravel—the sound of hope—has me glancing up. Please don’t be a serial killer.

It’s Dave. I’ll take it!

I walk toward him as he steps out of his vehicle.

“Car trouble?” He slams his door shut.

“I’ve got a flat.”

“That sucks. I’ll help you change it.”

I cringe. “I don’t have a spare.”

He scratches the scruff on his chin as he meets me near the trunk of my car. “That’s gonna be a problem.”

“Yeah.” I wince.

“Where do you live?”

“I’m in town, an apartment building off Main.”

He trudges around my car, as if to inspect it. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m gonna call Carl, he owes me a favor and can get it towed to the tire shop?—”

Alarm bells. I can’t afford a tow. I wave my arms. “No, I can’t?—”

He gestures with an open palm for me to stop talking. “He owes me a favor, free of charge. You're new in town, and I’m guessing those paychecks are all going to getting settled. Am I right?”

I nod, and my cheeks heat with embarrassment. Does everybody here know I’m broke?

“I’ll replace your tire and throw in a donut, in case you find yourself in this predicament sometime down the road, no pun intended.”

I’m not in a position to argue. “I’ll pay you back, I promise!”

“I know you will, I’m not worried,” he says, peering down at his phone and tapping the screen. He holds it to his ear. “Hey Carl… Yeah, I wanna cash in that favor. I’ve got a car on County Road 2 that needs a tow to Bill’s shop.” He gives Carl the make and model, then chuckles at whatever the man says. “Keys will be in the visor…. Yup…. Thanks.”

He wraps up the conversation, tucking his phone into his back pocket.

“Dave, I don’t know how to thank you for all this. I was going out of my mind for a minute. Again, I’ll pay you back, I swear. Thank you!” I beam at him. Dave just showed up and took care of these problems like it was the easiest thing in the world.

“Okay, get your stuff, I’ll drive you home.”

I hustle back to my car and place the keys in the visor like Dave said and reach over to collect my purse. Then I make sure the car is unlocked and shut the door. It’s not like anyone is gonna steal it. Even if it didn’t have a flat tire, the thieves would take one look at this heap and leave me a few bucks out of pity.

Dave’s already behind the wheel when I climb in. He starts his truck and pulls out onto the road. We make small talk until we get closer to my apartment .

“It’s that one on the left.” I point to the small building with aged yellow bricks and paint peeling from the window trim.

“That one?” he asks. His words aren’t judgmental, and I appreciate him allowing me to hold onto my dignity. The place looks decrepit. I know it does. Dave knows it does. The blind, stray dog walking past it on the sidewalk knows it does. However, it’s mine, and I’ve really tidied up the studio. She may not be the prettiest belle of the ball, but she is the cleanest. Beggars and choosers.

He parks his truck, and I unbuckle my seat belt.

“I should get your number so I can bring you to the shop once they get the tire swapped out.”

“Oh, of course!” We exchange information, and I grasp the door handle.

“I’ve always wondered what these apartments are like inside.”

“The inside matches the outside,” I reply with a chuckle.

“Do you mind if I take a peek?”

My gaze jumps between the building and Dave. “Umm…” I shrug. “Sure? I’m still getting settled, so I don’t have much furniture yet.” And money is tighter than my landlord’s wallet.

He gets out of the truck. We amble to the building, and he holds the door open for me and follows me up the stairs. I get my keys out and unlock the door, and he walks in behind me.

“Not much to see,” I say. He saunters in and heads toward the window, near my unmade bed. Okay, maybe it’s not that tidy, but after picking up a split shift, I used every second for sleep since yesterday’s calls had me dragging my feet.

He leans toward it and surveys the lookout.

My stomach rumbles, and I walk the three feet to the kitchen and locate a pan and place it on the stovetop. Then I open the fridge and pluck out my carton of eggs.

He peers back at me and throws his thumb over his shoulder. “You’ve got a great view of Main Street. ”

Nodding, I say, “I people watch sometimes.”

“Hungry?” he asks, glancing at the eggs on the counter.

“Yeah, I was going to make some breakfast—or is it dinner?” I smile, and he smiles back but says nothing. Then it hits me, and I suddenly feel rude. “Oh, did you want to join me?” Shit, he just hooked me up with a tow and a new tire, it’s the least I can do. I say a silent prayer that he says no. Dave is a nice guy, but I feel uneasy with a man I don’t know well in such a small space. My space. I glimpse at my phone. This needs to be a quick breakfast since I’m hoping to get in the shower and tidy up before Callahan stops by.

“Sure, I can stay for a bit.”

Damn.

My phony grin freezes on my face. “Super!”

Guess I’m making scrambled eggs for two. These eggs were expensive, damn it.

“Would you like toast?” I offer.

“I’m gluten free.”

Good, that’ll get you out of here sooner. I point to one of the two chairs at my table. “Have a seat.” He walks toward it and pulls out a chair. “Actually, use the other one. That one’s kind of wobbly.”

Welcome to the Ritz.

The eggs sizzle when cracked into the pan. I use my partially melted spatula to break the yolks and whisk the eggs together, trying to hurry the process. I shake salt and pepper into the pan and continue pushing the eggs around until they thicken.

My feet shift back and forth, and I break the silence with more small talk. “So, how long have you lived in Sky Ridge?”

The coils on the electric stove burn brighter as I turn up the temperature, hoping to speed up the coagulation of these damn egg whites.

“Around twenty years.”

“Oh, that’s a long time. Where did you move from? ”

“Small town not far from here.”

Once they’re done, I turn off the stove, split the eggs into two equal servings, and shovel them onto mismatched plates. From the drawer, I remove two plastic forks.

“That’s cool. This is a lovely area. I can see why people like it.”

He thanks me when I hand him a plate and a fork. His genuine appreciation makes me feel guilty for assuming the worst about him. Stabbing my eggs onto the tines, I ask him about his family.

“Did I hear your wife recently had a baby?” I ask, recalling the night at the bar when one of the hotshots asked how the new baby was doing.

“Yeah.”

“That’s exciting! Do you enjoy being a dad?”

He nods. “I love being a dad. Teaching them to take their first steps, throw a ball… it’s the best.”

I tilt the corner of my mouth in a half smile. In my experience, women did all the child rearing.

“It’s tough being gone for a few days at a time, but that’s the way it is.”

“You and your wife must make a good team.”

He shrugs. “Eh. The last couple years have been a bit rocky… Actually, we’re separated, but with a new baby, it’s easier to co-parent if we’re both in the same space.”

Uh-oh.

“We haven’t really told anyone yet, so if you could, ya know, keep it between us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s no one else’s business.”

I finish my eggs as he swallows his last bite.

“Yeah, it sucks. But it’s for the best. It’s nice to be able to tell somebody, it’s been weighing on me.”

“Anytime.” A silence pulses between us, and I check the clock on the stove. “Wow, is it already that late? I’ve got so much to do today!”

“Yeah, I won’t take any more of your time.” He stands, and relief washes over me. “I’ll send you a text later and can give you a ride to pick up your car.”

“That would be awesome, thank you again,” I say, walking toward the door.

He turns the knob and pulls it open. “You bet. Thanks for the eggs.”